Glass window hurricane protector



p 9, 1950 J. G. MICHELA 2,523,044

GLASS WINDOW HURRICANE PROTECTOR Filed March 8, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

M, Z dO/M/? MICHEL A BY mm A TT ORNE Y.

Sept. 19, 1950 J. G. MICHELA GLASS WINDOW HURRICANE PROTECTOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 8, 1948 INVENTOR. JOHNGM/CHELA ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 19, 1 950 7 Y window 'protecto ii] omen STATES GLASS WINDOW. HURRICANE raornccron=- John 'Mi chela, st. Petersburg, Fla. A JPlllicationMarch s, 1948-, Serial'No. 13,705

'Tlii's'invent'ion relatesv to a protector for glass windows, plate oriotherwise, and has for an object tdprovide a protector easily applicable to windows, on either side, toprevent'such windowsfrom breaking under stresses and strains caused by sudden changes in air pressures, such as usually accompany hurricanes or other atmospheric dis'-- A further object of this invention is to provide a readily applicable window protector which is applied directly to" the window glass itself, and supplies sufiicient reinforcement to such a substantial areaof the glass surface that it is practically impossible for thewindow to be stressed beyond its breaking limit under atmospheric pressure changes induced by a hurricane.

Afurther object of this invention is to provide a window protector which applies substantial reinforcement to a very substantial area of the window, rather than in merely isolated individual spots as in-prior art. 1 I

A iurther object of this invention is to provide a windowprotectorwhich is secured to the glass window itself and which holds asubstantial reinforcing bartightly against the window surface to stresses to beyondits breaking limit.-

251: "prevent the window from yielding under pressure A further object of this invention is-to provider a window'protector which may be applied to the window with great rapidity as may often be necessary in the absence of sufficient advance notice of a storm; and which may be both applied and removed without the necessity of any tools.

:tional protection when a hurricane is expected;

usually by boarding over, or placing shutters overthe glass, asdis'closed in U. St. Patent No. 2,150,280 and-more recently by attaching spot reinforce-- merit to one or more central spots on the glass as shown in U. S. Patents:- 1,460,645; 1,731,114; 2,025,161; r and 2,417,233 amongst others. This spot protection is also supported from thewindow frame itself as shown in these patents. In the present invention, the glass is provided with area protectiongrathen than spot protection, and while such; area protection covers a far greater percentage of the window glass surface than the spot protection, itstill permits the window to serve its purpose as a display window. The inivention consists in adjustably attaching one or more reinforcing barsg sueh as a rectangular piece of timber, 2" bye", or ofother suitable material,

- shown at I2.- Such timber bars are readily avail- 'A still further object of this invention is to providean attaching bracket for the window pro-'=- teeter," which bracket may be varied in minor details. v p i With the foregoing and other objects in view,

as will hereinafter become apparent, this inven-- tionbomprises the constructions, combinations,

and arrangement of parts hereinafterset forth,

' claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein:

Fig-1 is a sectional view' on line 1-1 of Fig. 2 showingthe window protector of this invention applied to one side of a window being protected;

Fig; zisa planview of awindow to'which a attacningbracket;

"of this invention' 'has been applied; 1 v I Fig. 315a sectional view ofv a modified vacuumcup; 1 I

Fig. sisa sectionalviewof stillanother vacuum 011p; i i I Fig. .51 is. an enlarged plan view or. a window able everywhere,- and may-be procured locally.

, Such bars 1 2 are to be secured to the window glass It) by means of brackets M- securable to the window surface byme'ans of vacuum cups It, the end brackets I4 being as close to the window frame members as possible.

Three or -rnorej"braekets l4 are'prcvided for eaoh bar' l2, according to the size of the window In to beprotected, and" such protecting bars i" I should extend to the opposite ends of the glassy l0,as" shown in Fig. 2. As shown, each bracket may be made of strap iron,forn-1ed in the shape of a U consisting of the bi'ght f5 and the legs it,

but having arms I extending oppositely from each other at the ends of the legs it, the arms I! forming right angles with the legs i6. Reinforcing braces it may be-welded across the angle, the ends 20 of the braces l8 being bent at an angle to be parallel to the arm and to the leg to" which. they are welded.- I

Vacuum cups 2| areprovided for theother ends 22 of each of the bracket arms ll. These" vacuum cups 2| are of fairly heavy resilient rubher, and consist of a cup portion 23 and an outer center tab or knob 24 to cooperate with the outer end 22 01 the bracket arm I] in securing the cups to the bracket arms. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7, these outer ends 22 of the arms have been reduced in width so that they may extend laterally through the knobs 24 being held therein by the resiliency of the rubber of the vacuum cup. In Fig. 3, the cup securing knob is in the form of a stud bolt 25 and nut 26, while in 4, the knob is in the form of a T-headed stem 2| with its head 28. In both forms, of Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the bracket arm ends are bifurcated, as;

at 30, so as to cooperate with the shank of the 15 stub bolt or the T-stem, as shown in Fig. 5. "In

either form of bracket and vacuum cup 2|, the

tion thereagainst.

A thumb screw 3| is threaded through the bight it of the bracket It, and rectangular bar i2 is adjusted against the glass It] by tightening the thumb screw 3| through the bracket bight i against the bar l2. As shown in Fig. 2, the bar i2 should have at least three of the brackets ill to hold it firmly against the surface of the glass |0.

The protector is intended for use on either the inside or the outside of the glass It to be pro-' tected, but use on the inside surface is preferred for two reasons. First, the heaviest pressure is usually outside and the protector resists the pressure best when applied on the inside of the building when the end brackets I4 are attached at the 35 extreme ends of the glass surface, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Second, the purpose of the center bracket, and more than one bracket,

properly spaced apart may be used instead, is

to hold the glass securely to the. bar or bracing member l2 so that the glass may not be pushed out due to internal pressures.

On a large sheet of glass, as many bars. l2'as desired or needed could be placed on either side of the glass, thus providing a large reinforcing. area over the surface of the glass, more than sufiicient to enable the glass to resist any difference in air pressure on opposite sides and thus prevent it from yielding to beyond its breaking, limit, thus riding out of the hurricane in safety. Afterwards, the thumb screws 3| are loosened, enabling the bars |2 to be easily removed. Inasmuch as tightening the thumb screws originally serves to press the bars l2 against the glass surface and simultaneously through the bracket arms H and knobs 24, to pull the centers of the cups away from the glass surface and thus cause, the cups to grip even more firmly, loosening the thumb screws 3| will relieve the pull on the knobs and thus loosen the grip of the cups 2| on the glass, enabling the cups to be readily removed from the glass surface. The brackets and bars may then be stored away until needed again, whereupon they can be quickly replaced on the window. Even when in use and a large area of the glass surface is reinforced, the use=of the. window for display purposes is only slightly interfered with.

While the device has been shown and the structure described in ;detail, it is obvious that this invention is not to be considered limited to the exact form disclosed, and that changes may be made therein within the scope of whatfis' claimed, without departing: from the spiritxof the invention. 5;

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

l. A window glass hurricane protector comprising a bar of substantial area and a plurality 5 of brackets arranged to cling to the glass surface, and means secured to said brackets to press the bar against the glass surface.

2. A window glass hurricane protector comprising a bar of substantial area and a plurality of brackets adapted to cling to the glass surface,

and means secured to said brackets to adjust- .ably press the bar against the glass surface and simultaneously increase the clinging grip of said bracket to the glass surface.

. 3. A window glass hurricane protector com- "prising a bar of substantial area and a plurality 7 0f brackets arranged to cling to the glass surface, each of said brackets comprising a strap metal member arranged to be extended over the outer side of the bar, a thumb screw extendable through said strap. metal member against said outer side of said bar, and a pair of vacuum cups each having its back mounted on an end of said strap metal member, for clinging to the glass surface, whereby tightening of the thumb screw pushes the baragainst the glass surface and pulls the back of the vacuum cup somewhat awayfrom the glass surface to increase the gripao ping effect of a the cup on the glass surface.

LA window glass hurricane protector comprising a bar of substantial area and a plurality of brackets arrangedto cling to the glass surface, each of said brackets comprising a strap metal member arranged to be extended over the outer side ofthe bar, a thumb screw extendable through said strap metal member against said outer .side of said bar, and a pair of vacuum cups each having its'back mounted on an end '1 of said strap metal member for clinging to the glass surface, whereby tightening of the thumb screw pushes thebar against the glass surface and'pulls the back of the vacuum cup somewhat away from the glass surface to increase the grip- 55: ping effect of the cup on the glass surface, said strap-metal member being of U-shape with outwardly extendingarms forming angles with the U-legs, said thumb screw being threaded throughthe bight of the U, and brace straps weldedacross the angle between the arms and the legs.

5. A windowglass hurricane protector comprising a, bar of substantial area and a plurality of brackets arranged to cling to the glass surface, means secured to said brackets to press the thearms and-the legs.

6. "ll'or use ina window glass hurricane protector having a bar of substantial area, a bracket comprising a U-shaped metal strap member having arms extending parallel to the U-bight and at right angles from the ends of the U-legs, a

vacuum .cup'arranged to cling to the glass surface mounted on the free end of each of said arms by means of aknob on the. outside of its .back, and a thumb screw threaded through the brace straps welded across the angle between U-bight of said bracket, the U of said bracket being arranged to extend about the bar and hav- I grip of said bracket to the glass surface.

7. For use in a window glass hurricane protector having a bar of substantial area, a bracket comprising a U-shaped metal strap member having arms extending parallel to the U bight and at right angles from the'ends of the U legs, brace straps connecting the bight ends of the legs to the free ends of said arms, a vacuum cup arranged to cling to the glass surface mounted on the free end of each of said arms by means of a knob on the outside of its back, and a thumb screw threaded through the U bight of said bracket, the U of said bracket being arranged to extend about the bar and have the thumb 8. A window glass hurricane protector comprising a bar of substantial area and of a length substantially equal to the length of the exposed surface of the glass to be protected, and a plurality of brackets arranged to cling to the glass surface, one of said brackets being arranged at each end of said bar adjacent the window frame, and at least one bracket arranged intermediate and substantially equally spaced from said end brackets, and means secured to said brackets to press said bar against the glass surface.

JOHN G. MICHELA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

